1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bottle opener which has a counter to indicate the number of bottles opened during a certain period and, more specifically, to a hand-held bottle opener which is adapted to remove caps from bottles and which has a counter with a digital display.
2. Background of the Art
There are a number of situations in which it is desirable to have a count of the number of bottles opened. Individuals may wish to keep a record of the number of bottles of a beverage which they have consumed over a given time. Also, establishments which sell beverages consumed on the premises may find it useful for inventory purposes to have a count of the number of bottles opened. In either case a bottle opener which automatically records and displays such a count is useful.
There are already known bottle openers with counters to indicate the number of bottles opened. Such prior art bottle openers are relatively complicated and expensive and are too large and cumbersome to be carried about in serving drinks. In using these openers it is intended that the bottles be taken to the opener which is often quite inconvenient.
One example of such prior art bottle openers is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,665, issued Aug. 22, 1967 to L. D. Proctor. This patent relates to an opener for a beverage container with a counter which has a chute to receive the caps of bottles as they fall downward after removal from the container. As a cap falls, it contacts a lever which actuates a microswitch which operates a counter.
There is also U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,131, issued May 16, 1961 to H. J. Walsh which is directed to a metered bottle opener. When a bottle cap is being removed with the opener of Walsh the force exerted moves a contact plate which in turn moves a slide integral with the plate. Linkage connected to the slide causes a counter arm to operate a counter. This is a rather complicated arrangement housed in a cabinet and clearly not intended to be carried about to open bottles.
It should be noted that the openers of Proctor and Walsh are designed to remove crown caps only. No provision has been made for the removal of screw caps.
In order to remove a crown cap from a bottle the opener includes a cap-engaging means having a portion which fits beneath the lip of the cap at one point and which at another point of the lip exerts a downward force. Then the application of a sufficient leverage deforms the cap and lifts it off the bottle. A counter for a bottle cap opener in accordance with the reference is operated by a signal or a force which is produced by the engagement of the opener with cap of the bottle. In one form of the invention the presence of a metallic cap engaged by the opener produces an electric signal which triggers the counter. In other embodiments the counter is operated mechanically by forces produced by the torque exerted when the cap is being removed. In the latter case it is advantageous to adjust the sensitivity of the counter actuating mechanism so that the counter will be triggered only when the torque exerted by the opener is sufficient to actually remove the cap. This prevents false triggering of the counter.